How to Find the Right Digital Mailroom Partner: 5 Questions
Friday, October 16, 2020
You’ve probably heard about “intelligent” digital mailrooms that boost efficiency and workflow automation, but what happens when the technology isn’t so… smart?
Many vendors tout lofty promises of customization and productivity but fail to deliver high-quality services. Limited integration tools, poor image quality, and an inability to scale services are just a few issues companies can face with subpar service.
Everyone and their dog can set up a “digital mailroom” with a desktop scanner and internet connection, but a high-quality virtual mailroom should encompass document capture and management, workflow automation, and business process system integrations, to name a few.
Vetting a partner means knowing what questions to ask. Many understand the concept of what they need but lack the how – a common issue for companies new to document capture and management.
The Questions
Below are five questions you should ask when choosing a digital mailroom partner.
What services are included with a digital mailroom?
The right partner will have advanced capture technology, along with the ability to quickly sort, index, and distribute the scanned documents within a cloud repository. Services should include:
- Document data extraction
- Project and sender identification
- Data lookup and normalization
- Digital image export
- Document routing
- Records management
How does the partner handle the classification and indexing of incoming documents?
Classifying and indexing are central services from high-quality digital mailroom partners. A partner should work closely with the client to develop a plan for indexing incoming mail. If kept by the recipient, the documents will remain in the cloud as permanent, searchable records.
What is done with the physical mail once it is scanned into a platform?
A slothful mailroom provider may destroy you paper documents minutes after digitization. The best partners will work with you to accommodate a customized retention schedule based on your process and legal requirements.
Does the partner subcontract any of the mailroom services?
This can be a major red flag; the best partners will offer holistic digital mailroom services without the need for subcontracting the work. Not only can subcontracting potentially compromise the security of your documents, it will decrease the quality of services.
How does the partner ensure quality of the scanned documents?
The best digital mailroom partners will perform visual inspection of scanned images to ensure clarity and quality. Choose a partner that performs both digital and human audits for quality.
Finding the Right Digital Mailroom Partner
As you determine the best partner for your needs, keep in mind that, while there are different ways to implement some form of digital mailroom, some solutions are smarter than others. Here are a few guidelines:
- Don’t rush into a decision before understanding the internal processes of a partner.
- Be wary of pop-up software shops capitalizing on the increased demand for remote tools due to COVID-19. These feral vendors are often inexperienced and unreliable, offering a simple “scan and done” service.
- Choose a pedigreed partner that customizes both their services and the software to your needs.
Keep your expectations high as you vet a partner. A truly automated digital mailroom should be “touchless” – with your documents automatically sorted, scanned, indexed, and classified within your document management platform.
ISSI can assist you in setting up and managing a digital mailroom for increased accessibility and productivity.
